Valério Romão​Emerging writer from Portugal

'We live in a time when visual culture reigns supreme. I feel the need to reject that. We are engulfed by images, so why not let literature revolve around that which you can’t see.'

Valério Romão (1974) was born in France. He was selected three times in the national Young Creators Award (2000, 2001, 2002), twice for prose and once for poetry. He was the Portuguese representative in the area of literature in the European and Mediterranean Young Creators Bianual Fair, in 2001, held in Bosnia. He has a degree in Philosophy. Valério writes short stories, theatre plays, translates and has collaborated with national artists from other areas, such as theatre, dance and others.

‘I want to offer the reader what I’d like for myself. An enriching experience, something confusing or moving. As long as it’s not entertainment,’ says Valério Romão. ‘My texts are rarely descriptive. I don’t spend much time outlining decor, locations or the appearance of my characters. A reviewer once said to me: your books could be twice as long if you included more descriptions.’ Romão shrugs his shoulders. He would rather describe actions, thoughts or feelings. ‘We live in a time when visual culture reigns supreme. I feel the need to reject that. We are engulfed by images, so why not let literature revolve around that which you can’t see.’